Lakeville Man Found Guilty in Fatal Christmas Eve Crash

A Lakeville man was found guilty Monday of criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular injury after a 2009 crash that killed an 88-year-old man and injured his wife.

A jury also found Jeffrey Arthur Martin, 39, guilty of child endangerment and third-degree DWI.

The Christmas Eve 2009 crash killed Everett Letterly of Prior Lake and injured his wife, who was driving.

The jury deliberated Monday for about three hours before finding Martin guilty on all counts.

Martin’s blood-alcohol content was .17 at the time of the crash, and his three children, ages 10, 9 and 4, were in the car at the time. The accident happened at Gerdine Path and Dodd Boulevard, and the roads were snowy at the time, according to the criminal complaint.  

“This is another sad and tragic example of the significant danger associated with drinking and driving,” Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a statement. “Drunk driving kills and cripples more people than any other crime in America.”

Backstrom extended sympathy to the victim’s family.

After the verdict, Dakota County District Judge David Knutson ordered a presentence investigation and chemical dependency evaluation of Martin. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 4 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.